We’ve hit peak autumn color here in our area. The color is spectacularly good this year so we are making a point of getting out every day to take a ride somewhere and soak it all in. It’s truly the best foliage display we’ve had in a long time. The oranges and reds, in particular, are fantastic.
Yesterday morning instead of being parked in front of the Senate hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett to soak up history like the geek that I am, I was at the dentist. Friday evening I discovered I had chipped a crown and broken another filling. I wasn’t in terrible pain so my dentist asked if I could wait until this week to take care of it. While I wasn’t in pain, it was a nagging discomfort. So I spent the weekend being careful to not make things worse and finally got it taken care of yesterday.
The tooth thing also explains why I haven’t made any more News Stories to Watch videos. I felt just meh enough that trying to speak for a video was not what I wanted to do even though there was plenty to talk about. I have been adding lots of information to the forum so if you are looking for the best links, look there. Thank you for the kind feedback about the videos. Thank you also to the people who have shared them online and have opted to support my work via PayPal. I appreciate it very much.
Monday morning David and I started an ambitious project for my site that we had been discussing for some time. Before we started, he prayed and specifically asked that if this wasn’t the Lord’s will that He would make that obvious to us. After working on this project all morning, something went spectacularly and inexplicably wrong. Like really wrong. And really inexplicably. David works on websites all the time and he’s never seen anything like this disaster before. It made no sense. We lost all of the work we had done that morning. All of it. We were literally back to square one. Even the back-ups of what we had done had failed.
So we pulled the plug on the project. And I read this again: God’s Restraining Hand of Love.
I admit I was both disappointed and relieved. It was something I wanted to do for a number of reasons so I was disappointed by what pulling the plug on it meant. But I was also honestly relieved to know that God didn’t want me to do it.
This past Sunday I went to church for the first time since February. So much that could be said about this, but not now. I’ll simply say I was thankful to be there although the lack of singing left a hole the worship experience. God has created us to be creatures that sing. We lose an important part of our humanity when we do not do this.
It’s finally getting cool enough that I’ve restarted my evening ritual of reading by the fire. This week I’ve been focusing on Mother Culture. Much of it aligns with the parenting and homeschooling philosophy that I’ve already crafted for myself, but I find it encouraging nonetheless as Karen Andreola brings different aspects of it to light.
It’s also interesting to read Mother Culture as the homeschooling mother of a fourteen year old daughter. Most people would think this is a book for mothers with younger children who are in the process of trying to establish a home culture and way of life for mother as well. It certainly is a helpful book for mothers in that particular situation. But I find it reaffirming of where we are now as well. Our homeschooling has become much more enjoyable this year for a number of reasons which would fit better in another post. But it is almost as though we are now to the point where we are able to enjoy homeschooling in a way we never could before. I think it is because we’ve kind of abandoned the idea of eighth grade through high school being this grueling sprint to the college admissions drama. We’re approaching it much more holistically as a part of our family culture and it’s so much more meaningful. I really should write about this in depth now that I’ve started writing about it in this post.
Anyway.
In terms of homemaking items, I’m going through the seasonal clothes swap. It’s been a slow process this fall, but this week I’ll finish washing up and packing away the summer clothing and have all of the autumn and winter things ready to go. Our temperature is supposed to drop dramatically after today so we’ll be ready for sweaters and turtlenecks moving forward. I’m more than ready.
I honestly haven’t even thought past that. I’m sure other things will come to mind.
By the way, today is one of the Amazon Prime Days. If you are looking for inspiration in a lot of different areas, feel free to check out the A Quiet Simple Life Amazon storefront that I’ve been assembling over the past year or two. I always forget to mention it and link to it, but I’ve been slowly adding to it.
What are you working on this week? I hope you’ll leave a comment!
Artwork: “Schoolgirl with Homework” by Albert Anker
When Your Quiet Simple Life Hits Reality {Sallie Video}
Hi!
It’s hard to have a door closed so decisively in your face, but at the same time it’s good to receive a definite answer. Also it was interesting how God did that in your case–with Supreme Technical Competence!
This week I am finishing up the prep work for my big refinishing project. We are implementing a weekly no-screens day.
Hi Peggy,
Well, it was disappointing but also a bit of a relief. I’m trusting God will provide in other ways.
A weekly no-screens day sounds great. Are you doing Sundays or a weekday?
Sallie
I’m greatly looking forward your post about how you’re making middle and high school a more relaxed and holistic part of your family culture!
Hi Erika!
I will try to write that soon. There were a number of factors that went in to the change that I didn’t even necessarily orchestrate. They just kind of happened but made sense when the did.
I still can’t figure out math though. LOL!
Sallie
Ooof, math is a tough one. (I know I sound like that bubble-headed Barbie that says, “Math is hard!” when you pull the string in her back, but it really is a tough one for me.). My solution for when my already-graduated daughters needed higher math was to hire someone else to teach them. It was the only compassionate way, bwa ha! Hoping I will be able to do that with my youngest, too.
I’m glad to hear your tooth problems are resolved. When I have a toothache, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else!
I’m sure that it was disappointing to lose the work you had done on your site, but you are right – that was certainly an answer to prayer, even if it wasn’t what you were expecting.
At my daughter’s request, we have decided to add at least one more year to her schooling. It has taken the pressure off (she would have been a senior this year!) and we can continue on at a reasonable pace. We are still deciding what to do about classes / activities that want to know your grade, but we will approach them individually as they come up.
I think we are a few hours south of you, so we are facing the same drop in temperatures coming. My closet is in the in between messy bit where I still have summer stuff out, but have also pulled out a few cardigans and jeans and booties. I need to just commit and get it switched over. My summer stuff is still accessible after the switch in case I need it, but I need to just make that commitment! Thanks for the push. 🙂
Have a great week!
Hi Amanda,
I think it is great you are taking an extra year with your daughter! That would probably be a great choice for so many families. There is no reason to be bound to a school year and age expectation that doesn’t work for your family.
Sallie
I agree that the fall color is better than it’s been in several years. We’re not quite at peak here in Ohio yet, but the difference is apparent. Even the fields and roadside grasses are changing. Yesterday, my husband and I went to our local farm store and bought a two quart sauerkraut crock, and we’re going to try making sauerkraut for the first time with cabbage from our garden. I’m also going to try canning. It’s nice to have the little bit of extra time to try these things. My Mom wasn’t taught any domestic skills. She lost her Mom when she was only five, so here I am in my fifties canning for the first time.
Hi Cheryl,
I haven’t learned to can either and we are probably similar ages. I have a (brand new) pot and all the doodads, but I simply find it intimidating. I don’t know why. I think because I like to learn something like that with someone showing me how and I’ve never had that either. I could watch YouTube videos, but I just don’t.
A couple of summers ago I sold most of the canning jars people had given to me so it would be much more challenging now that there are virtually no canning supplies available.
I hope it goes well!
Sallie
I really enjoyed this post, Sallie – thank you for sharing it with us. What a reminder to me to always pray for the Lord’s intervention with all that we do. That was amazing how He answered David’s prayer!!! Closed the door on that particular project – but will open another door at just the right time for something else. : )
I remember being more “strict” with our homeschooling when in grade school with our son and then we, too, relaxed a bit more in high school. You would think that it would have been the other way around!!! But it did make it feel more natural – he found his way of learning and ran with it and then everything kind of fell into place and he did very well. : )
We, too, are taking advantage of this gorgeous time of year. Like you, over in Michigan, we are experiencing one of the most beautiful fall colors we’ve ever seen. Isn’t God wonderful?! Here we are in 2020 with all this stuff going on – He knew we needed some beauty. : )
Well, thank you again. I don’t always comment but I always enjoy your posts!!!!! Have a great rest of the week. Mary
Hi Mary Ann,
It was so nice to see this comment from you. I always enjoy your posts as well and I don’t comment often enough. One of my 2020 goals was to comment more regularly on other people’s blogs/websites and I’ve not achieved that goal at all.
It is interesting that the color is so good in 2020 after the unusual year we’ve had. It certainly is a blessing to have something turn out really well after so much that has just been crazy. LOL!
Sallie
I just recently found your site, and I love it! It embodies all that my husband and I have been working towards in our home, our homeschool, our lives.
Life is much different for us now that my sweet husband had a hemorrhagic stroke 3 years ago. We had just graduated our 5th child from our homeschool and I was looking forward to my youngest daughter and I finishing out this homeschool journey together. Now that my 22yo son and I are my husband’s full-time caregiver (but he is recovering miraculously! Praise God!) it has changed the dynamic of our home and school. My youngest is now 15 and we are taking our time through high school. No need for rush! Savoring the days.
The simple life is what we have always wanted, but that became complicated with therapies and dr visits, etc. Now that we are on this side of things, I have to find income to supplement disability, yet not able to leave my hubby alone. What we have seen is a God who is our Provider, Protector, Loving Father and more. Much training in the trial.
There isn’t much out there in blog world about successfully homeschooling and homemaking and keeping life uncomplicated when life-changing trials hit. I would like to write about our experience as a testimony and help to others, but we shall see.
Thank you again for your blog and resources!
Hi Lori,
Welcome! I’m so glad you are here and that you said hello. It sounds like you have a very full life, but that God is sustaining you in the midst of it. I am so glad you are able to lean on Him for support during such as life-changing event.
I hope you are able to find a way to supplement your income. Did you see the posts I have at this link? It contains some of the good and bad I’ve learned and thought about working at home.
https://sallieborrink.com/category/money-retirement/home-based-business/
Have a cozy weekend!
Sallie
Thank you, Sallie, for the welcome and the links.
It seems you have much experience in the work-at-home genre, alongside homeschooling to boot! You are to be commended.
Both my husband and I are baby boomers, both not adept or really interested in setting up shop online. This goes against most of what the world is doing, but the learning curve is not one we want to tackle. My husband does surveys online to help us a bit. I am researching an easy platform to sell books as I have a plethora after 28+ years of homeschooling. My health issues keep me from being in front of a computer for more that 10-15 min at a time.
We are looking forward to a fresh season. We look ahead with hope in a God who never fails us.
The articles you linked for me left a sense of frustration. I do hope this has eased for you, in spite of what is going on in the world today.
Thank you again!
Sorry about your dental problems. The colors here in New York are none existent. The leaves are mostly brown, We are having mild weather today and tomorrow. Cooler weather over the week end after rain on Friday. We have changed our clothes already for Autumn and Winter. It is too bad about your new project. There will probably be another one on the horizon. Glad you are reading by the firelight. Karen Andreola has a lot of lovely books. Enjoy your books. Looking forward to your next posts. God Bless.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
Hi Marilyn,
It’s so disappointing when the colors aren’t good. I know I look forward to fall all year and it’s so anticlimactic when it isn’t a good foliage year. We’re thankful for the beauty this year.
I hope you, Joan, and Marion have a cozy weekend.
Sallie